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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Mainframe

Mainframe
Burn the Boats

Street Date: April 13, 2018
Style: Punk / Rock
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: AmazonMP3



Burn the Boats is a call to action. While lacking in production values, Mainframe is still able to produce a punk album with a great message that manages to stick with you. The album cover depicts four soldiers making a plan on foreign shores and the album's title gives away its message right away. Throughout history, there have been times when a commander forces his soldiers to burn their boats upon arriving on foreign shores -- effectively eliminating any means of fleeing the battle short of victory.

In the Christian life, God has demanded loyalty from His followers and Burn the Boats is both a reminder and encouragement to believers. The lyrics throughout the album are excellent and thought-provoking. The tracks "Burn the Boats," "Undivided Devotion," and the cover of Value Pac's "Don't Look Back" are all reminders of Paul's exhortations for us to "run the race" of the Christian life well (Acts 20:23-24). "Stately on the Shore" is a song rejoicing the life of one who has "fought the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7). In the track "Shrink Ray," which alludes to Matthew 19, Mainframe sings about how the most important thing worth "all our time and money" is our dedication to Christ. Other tracks on the album focus on adjacent themes such as the song "Peter," which is about the life and perspective of the apostle looking at his own faith during the ministry of Jesus, and it concludes with "We love you Lord! Made us reborn!/Into a living hope through your resurrection"; "Dog and Pony Show" is about letting go of what the world wants from us and sticking to our "higher calling."

Musically, Burn the Boats is similar to 90's style punk in the vein of early MxPx, but is more melodic and sticks to more major keys. Unfortunately, the album suffers from poor production which varies from vocal tuning issues to some poor timing in the instrumentation to a global mixing muddiness to the entire project. Even while lo-fi production is a hallmark of the genre, this stands out as being particularly weak. Regardless, its flaws weren't enough to stop every song on this album from being an earworm that would play in my head repeatedly well after listening.

Burn the Boats presents itself as a pep talk to push you further in your Christian walk. The lyrics are rooted strongly in spiritual truth and the choruses are likely to get stuck in your head immediately. With this album, Mainframe has lovingly crafted an album that, while not executed perfectly, feels heartfelt and genuine.

- Review date: 7/6/18, written by Mike Knipp of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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JFH Indie Spotlight Review . Record Label: Indie Vision Music
. Album length: 7 tracks: 31 minutes, 49 seconds
. Street Date: April 13, 2018
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: AmazonMP3

  1. Burn the Boats (5:12)
  2. Undivided Devotion (3:30)
  3. Peter (4:19)
  4. Don't Look Back (2:37)
  5. Dog & Pony Show (5:23)
  6. Shrink Ray (3:58)
  7. Stately on the Shore (6:50)

 

 

 

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This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



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